BALTIMORE — On Veterans Day, local service members used their voices in a different kind of mission. Veterans from every branch of the U.S. military gathered at War Memorial Plaza as part of the national “Vets Say No” movement — a coordinated day of action in cities across the country.
The message was unified: veterans say deploying National Guard troops into American cities, including Baltimore, sends the wrong message and violates the principles they swore to defend.
Army veteran Tim Eppers, who served in Iraq and grew up in Baltimore, said the focus should be on trust and opportunity, not troop presence.
“Every time we send soldiers into our own neighborhoods, we’re not solving problems — we’re sending a message that we don’t trust our people. Baltimore doesn’t need occupation. It needs opportunity,” Eppers said.
Speakers at the rally included veterans of wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, along with community supporters. They called on leaders to prioritize investment over intimidation, arguing that real security comes from jobs, education, and mental health resources — not militarization.
Navy veteran Jim Webster said his service was rooted in protecting democracy.
“We fought against the kind of thing Trump is trying to make our country now. That’s not why I served. I served for a better America.”
Organizers emphasized that “Vets Say No” is not anti-military it’s about holding leaders accountable to the Constitution and the people they represent.
The Baltimore event joined similar demonstrations across the U.S., all calling for peace, unity, and a recommitment to the values that veterans say they fought for abroad and continue to defend at home.